Attachment for sewing machines



sept. 21, 1954 l. S. RICKMAN Filed Oct. 5l 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l n l y 4fao l '3| t 5' l L i i 'Hl In.. 50 l 1' SF I I e "I I l l 27% I l l 1| lI INVENTOR f g I ISAIAH S. RlcKMAN W FIG' I' j ATTORNEY Sept. 21, 1954l. s. RICKMAN 2,689,538

ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 3l, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENToR ISAIAH S. RlcKMAN By Y /vMy/m Sept. 21, v1954 Filed 001'.. 3l,1951 l. S. RICKMAN ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 25gjm/46 /l74 :75.996 F y///////// /////I//` .34' 3e 48 49 C "4' f7/B l'95.7 q I4 l u u '95 |92 las l |85 5o '9 'es 9 INVENTOR FIG. 8.

ISAIAH S. RICKMAN Sept 21 1954 l. s. RICKMAN 2,689,538

ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed OCT.. 5l. 1951 4- Shee'S-Sheet 4F|G.9. I

lNvr-:NTOR ISAIAH S. RICKMAN /u7 JA'TORNEY l Patented Sept. 21, 1954UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Isaiah S.Rickman, Williamsport, Pa. Application October 31, 1951, Serial No.254,068

. 1 claim. l

This invention relates to an attachment for sewing machines and hasparticular reference to a retardative element and actuating mechanismtherefor, designed to maintain two pieces of fabric, such as a main bodysection and a pleat or the like, in proper alignment when same are beingstitched together.

In the conventional method now in use for stitching two pieces of fabrictogether, the regulation feeder upon a machine is employed to draw thefabric under the presser foot and the needle. The action of this feederis such that the lower layer of Vfabric hasatendency to creep as the twolayers are being fed under the presser foot of the machine, to such anextent that the ends of two layers of fabric do not come into properalignment. The end of the upper layer extending beyond the end of thelower layer of fabric, or in other words, the feeder in the conventionalmachine, as it draws the fabrics under the presser foot, causes thelower fabric with which it directly engages, to pull together andslightly crumple or creep, thereby drawing in the end of the fabric andout of alignment with the endof the upper layer.

The principal object of this invention -is to provide a means `whichwill overcome this objection or. defect. This means comprises aretardative element engageable through the throat plate of the machineand adapted to horizontal and vertical reciprocal movement in line withthe conventional feeder element, and moving simultaneously with it, butwith opposite horizontal reciprocal movement. i

Another object of this invention is the means employed to activate thesaid retardative element, said means comprises rods connecting the saidretardative element to conventional operating parts of the machine toimpart a reciprocatory horizontal and vertical movement to same.

A further object of this invention is to -provide a fabric retardativeelement which may be built into new machines or which may be readilyattached to machines now in use.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of anorganization in which therconstituent elements are so arrangedstructurally and functionally as to assure improved results withmaterials and members which may be manufactured at reasonable cost, maybe easily (Cl. 11B-208) assembled and which will be eicient in operationwith minimum wear to the parts.

The best embodiment of the invention has been chosen for illustrativepurposes, but this embodiment should be viewed as being illustrativeonly `and not as limiting because obviously the invention is capable ofother embodiments having revised details of construction, so long asthey fall within the ambit of the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and itsmethod of operation, will `best be understood from the followingdescription of a specific embodiment when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a partial plan or top View of the base plate at the sewing endof a sewing machine head and shows the throat and slidingI plates inposition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but shows parts of the base plate broken away,the throat plate removed and the sliding plate partly pulled out, todisclose the parts directly below the base plate.

Fig. 3 is a sectional, elevational view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig.2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and shows therelative position of the needle, needle bar and the presser foot.

Fig. 4 is an elevational end view of the baseplate of the sewingmachine, parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail, in elevation and partly in section,taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a slightly enlarged sectional view of a fragmentary detail andis taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a top or plan View of the end portion of a base plate withparts broken away, similar to Fig. 2, but showing a slight structuralmodication.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevational along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail in elevation showing an upper and lowerlayer of fabric as theyappear after being stitched together in aconventional machine.

Fig; 10 is a diagram, in plan, which will be further on explained.

Fig. ll is a view similar to that of Fig. 9 but View taken shows theupper and lower layers of fabric as they appear after being stitched bya machine which embraces the attachment which is the subject matter ofthis specification, and invention, and

Fig. 12 is another diagram, in plan, which will be further on explained.

Referring in detail to the parts, il designates the base plate of asewing machine head. i2 and I3 are depending lugs integrally formed uponthe base plate at its further end and are shown only in 3, fl and 8. Thelug i2 supports one end of an oscillating shaft Iii the opposite end ofwhich is supported. by a conical bearing member upon theend of.v athreaded bolt i5 which engages througlfiLv a rtlireaded bore in a lug i6(Figs. 2 and 4). A nut l1 is provided. to tightly lock the threaded boltl5 securely in place. supports one end of a second oscillating shaft |8,

the opposite end of which is supported by a coni-- base plate is formed.with a cut out portion 22" open at the end 23 (Figs. l, 2 and 7). Aledge 24 extends along both sides and across the rear circular portionof the cut out portion.

A throat plate 25 is secured to the ledge at the inner portion of thecut out 22 by means of countersunk screws 26. Along the ledges 24 at thesides of the cut out portion 22 are under cuts 21 conforming to theedges of a sliding plate 28, shown in closed position in Fig. 1 and inpartly withdrawn position in Fig. 2. The throat plate 25 is providedwith a needle orifice 29 and with afpair of elongated slots 36 and apair of shorter slots 3| and 3| through which feeder elements engage aswill be hereinafter explained.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 4 and 1, it will be observed that theoscillating shaft I4 has,l integrally formed upon it, a pair of up-rightlugs 32 and 33 through which threaded boltsf34 and 35 respectivelyengage. 'I'heinner ends of the bolts (i4-and 35 are each formed withconical bearing ends which engage a cross bar 36. Lock' nuts 31 areprovided vto securely hold the threaded bolts 34 and 35 in place.Integrally formed upon and extending laterally from the cross bar 36there is a connecting rodx38 terminating in a slot` formation 39 whichengages over aroller 40 (Figs. 2 and 7). The` roller 48-is mounted upona, pin 4| whichis in turn secured to a bracket arm 42 extending from andsecured upon the oscillating shaft |8 and oscillates with same. To thevupper' surface ofthe connecting rod 38, there is attached afplate 43which is secured to the connecting rod by means of screws 44. A portionof the plate 43 extends laterally from its attachment portion as at 45,and is formed with upstanding feed dogs 46 which have serrated upperedges 41. The said portions 46 are engageable through the aforementionedslots 38 and 3| formed in the throat plate 25 (Fig. 1) A bobbin casing48, shown in outline only, is secured upon one end of a hook shaft 49which is mounted in bearings (not shown) in a lug 58 depending from thebase plate at one end. of same andV suitably mounted in bearings, notshown, at its opposite end.

The above description has referred only to conventional partsin a sewingmachine head which forms a part 'of a regulation machine in common useand forms no part of this invention except as it has` cooperativerelation with the attachment comprising this invention and whichwill nowbe describedand `operatively explained.

The lug ill.l

theblock |55 (Fig. 5).

An elongated plate |5| formed with a slot |52, (Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5) isbracketed from and secured to the oscillating shaft |4 by means of aprojecting flange |53 and screws |54. A block |55 is slidably mountedupon the slotted plate |5| but is held against sliding movement by meansof a bolt |56 formed with a head |51, extending through the block |55(Fig, 6) encased by a spacer collar |58 which extends slightly beyondthe face of the block, a washer |59 and a nut |60. This permits theblock |55 to be adjusted along the slot |52 and then tightened in anyselected position while at the same time allowing the block |55A to-haveapivotal movement about the bolt |51 and its` spacer collar |58.Attached to the block |55 is the depending end |6| of a connecting arm|162. The said depending end being slotted as at |63 and held securelyupon the block by screws |64 which engage-through the slot |63 and intoThe arm |62 is of irregular shape and extends upwardly and thendownwardly andfterminates in a slotted end portion |65 which slidablyengages a roller |66 upon a pin |61 which in turn is secured upon abracket arm |68 attached to and extending from the oscillating shaft |81vThe bracket arm |68 is formed of a flat strip adapted tol encircle theoscillating shaft I8, as indicated at |68 and a bolt |68" is em'- ployedto tighten the flat strap around the o'scillating' shaft' I8. AnL-shaped bracket arm |69 extendslaterallly from the'arm |62 andisheldthereon` by means of screw-s |10 vwhich engage through a slot |1| uponthe L-shaped arm-. A retardation element, comprising a plate |12 andupwardlyl projecting arms |14 having serrated upper edges |15 which rareengageable through the slots Etrand 3| is attached to the free end ofthe L-shaped bracket |69, by means ofthescrews |13 (Fig. 2)

When two layers of fabric are stitched together by' a sewing machinewhich does not'include the attachment comprising this invention, thefeeder invariably causes the lower fabric to creep ahead ofl themovement of the upper layer bringing the end of the lower layer out ofalignment with the upperl'ayer. This result is clearly shown in Fig.9'where the upper layer of fabric is represented by the numeral |16 andthe lower layer by the numeral |11. The parts of the mechanism indicatedare those of a conventionalsewingmachine which is not equipped withthe-improved attachment comprising this invention. The overlapping edgeofthe upper layer is shown at |18. The lower layer which has been drawnin shows theedge |19 out of alignment with the'edge |18. Fig. 10shcws'the offset of the edges |18 and |19 when the lower layer |11 iscaused to creepahead of the-'upper layer |16 during the stitchinggactionby the movement of the conventional feeder with its serrated edges 41.Fig. 11 also shows the conventional machine and feeder but withtheaddition of the retardative member |14 'of this invention. With thisadded retardative member the creeping movement of the lower layer isprevented and the two edges come together in perfect alignment, asindicated at and |8| and as shown in plan in'Fig. 12.

Figs. '1 and 8 show a slight structural modication in which a rod |82vis substituted for Athe arm |62 heretofore shown and described. The rod|82 is slidably and pivotally secured, as at |83, to an arcuate member|84 which is slotted at k|85 and is secured to the oscillating shaft |4by means of an attached flange |86 and screws |81. The opposite endofthe rod |82 is pivotally attached'at 88,` toa plate member i |89 andis adjustable `.thereon by means of a screw |90 whichis thread- ,whichslidably engageswiththe` roller |66Nupon a pin;- |61 .which is" in turnsecuredato the bracket A flat bar |95 having Va slot |98 is adjustablyattached to the plate- |89 bymeans of screws |91 which engage throughthe slot 96 and are threaded into the" plate |89. The upper end ofthebar |95 extends approximately atright angles, into a platform formation|98 upon which there is attached the L-shaped bracket |69 which issecured thereon by the screws engaging through the slot |'l|. To theouter, free end of the L- shaped bracket there is secured by means ofthe screws |13 the retardative element, hereinbefore mentioned, whichcomprises the base |12 and the upwardly projecting arms |14 havingserrated upper edges |15.

As hereinbefore stated the retardative element comprises a multiplicity(usually three) of upstanding arms |14 having serrated upper edges |15which project upwardly through slots 30 and 3|', (Fig. 1) formed in thethroat plate '25. The serrated edges |15 of the arms |14 may be ofvarying lengths to provide a staggered arrangement of the ends facingthe needle opening 29 as shown. The upstanding arms 46 of theconventional feeder element must be shortened to a1- low sufficientspace, in the slots 30, for the serrated edge portions |15 of the arms|14 of the `retardative element. The front of the machine head at whichan operator sits and faces the needle is indicated on the drawings bythe letter F and as viewed in the drawings is at the right. When feedinga fabric into the machine and under the presser foot at the beginning ofa stitching operation, the staggered ends of the serrated portions |15of the arms |14 allows the conventional feeder unit to grasp the fabricand prevent the retardative element from drawing the fabric away fromthe needle when the machine begins to operate.

'I'he conventional feeder unit, comprising the arms 46 with the serratedupper edges 41 is alternately given a forward and rearward movement bymeans of its connection through the cross bar 38, coacting with theconventional oscillating shaft I4. When the feeder element has movedrearwardly (to the left as viewed in the drawings) and has reached itsextreme rearward position, the bracket arm 42, oscillating with theoscillating shaft I8, moves the pin `4| attached to its free end,downwardly and the roller 40 upon the pin, engaging the slotted end 89of the cross bar 38 lowers the feeder unit below the upper surface ofthe throat plate 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 8. While the feeder unit isin this lowered position the oscillator shaft |4 reverses its directionto move the feeder unit forward or to the right. At this point theoscillator shaft |8 also reverses its direction of movement and movesthe feeder unit upwardly to bring its serrated edges |15 up against thefabric and presser foot 41', as indicated by dotted lines |16' in Fig.9. The oscillating shaft I4 and the connecting cross bar 38 now movesthe feeder unit rearwardly or to the left until it reaches the positionshown by full lines in Fig. 9. The description and operation ofthefeeder unit, just recited,

concerns the regulation mechanism in use on all conventional machinesand is not a part of this invention but is shown and described so that aclear understanding of its cooperative action with the retardativeelement which is the subject of this invention.

The retardative element, as heretofore mentioned, comprises amultiplicity of upright members or arms |14 having serrated upper edgeswhich engage through slots 30 and 3|' formed in the throat plate 25 inline with the said conventional, serrated members 46-41. The memberscomprising the retardative element have horizontal and reciprocalmovement corresponding to and simultaneous with the movements of theserrated members of the conventional feeder unit, with the exception ofthe horizontal reciprocal movement. The horizontal movements of theretardative element, while simultaneous with the horizontal movement ofthe feeder, are opposite to it. In other words, when the feeder movestoward the rear, the retardative moves in the opposite direction ortoward the front when both sets of serrated members are in raisedpositions and ready to begin such movement. This movement of theretardative member in a forward direction, when in frictional contactwith the under surface of a lower fabric (Fig. 11) urges the fabricforward and prevents a creeping action bringing the end |18 of the upperlayer and the end |19 of the lower layer in perfect alignment when thestitching is completed. Fig. 1 shows in plan, the spacing and positionof the arms having the serrated edges 41 and |15, when same are inraised position and about to be horizontally moved apart. Figs. 4 and 8show the position, in elevation, of the feeder unit and retardativeelement in their lowered position and just as they are about to movetoward each other, while remaining in their lowered position. They nowmove together and when they arrive at the position shown in plan, inFig. l, they are raised to bring their serrated edges slightly above theupper surface of the throat plate 25 to contact the lower surface of thelower layer of fabric and are then given movement away from each otherto the position shown in elevation in Fig. 11, and as already explained.

The form illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 shows a means of effectingadjustments not shown in the first form. This second form is desirablein some machines where nner adjustments are required.

I claim:

A sewing machine for stitching an upper and a lower layer of materialcomprising, in combination, a base plate, a hook shaft mounted inbearings below the said base plate, a pair of oscillating shafts mountedlongitudinally along each side of and below the said base plate, andhave cam connections with the said hook shafts, a slotted throat platehaving a needle orice, secured upon the upper side of said base plate, aconnecting rod pivotally attached to one of the said oscillating shafts,the free end of said connecting rod being slotted and slidablyengageable with a pin secured upon a bracket attached to a secondoscillating shaft, the said connecting rod being given a reciprocatoryhorizontal movement by means of its pivotal connection with theaforesaid oscillating shaft while the second oscillating shaft impartsreciprocal vertical movement thereto, upstanding feed dogs secured tothe upper face of said connecting rod and adapted to vertical andhorizontal movement through the said slotted 'pivotally attachedtoene..osoillatingzshaft andextending forwardly to a slotted end;'portion fen- -gageable withY a. rollerfpinupon a'bracket arm secured.upon the second oscillating shaft, the AV:stud seconel;1ensei-llatingAshaft being adapted .toimpart horizontal and vertical reciproeatorymotion to thersaicleonneoting amm; feed dogs'mounted `upon thelsaidconnecting arm and engageable through the. aforesadslottedgateplateand enacting with the1'-said;,connecting` arm isgiven horizontal andvertical -reciprocatory movement and when mits '8 raised position'isgiven at forward movementand when in l itsV lowermost 1 positonfhasx arearward movement; Y

References Cited in the ille ofl thisA patent UNITED STATES PA'I'EN'IS,V

Number Name Date 1,879,106 Corrall etal; Sept; 27; 1932 2,009,747-Sauer-v July 30; 1,935 2,509,596 Hale et al. May30, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS" Y Number Country Datei 4'10467 Germany Feb.:16,; 1927

